Constructive criticism needed!

Nuru · May 25, 2009

I would second Akfish on the Hydraulic blades.

jenkinsph · May 26, 2009

If the intentions of the poster are to dress up his gravel driveway from time to time then the Frontier LP1196 landplane should do the job. This is much easier for a novice to use and will give good results fast. With two angled 8' grader blades you can pull up material from the edges to maintain the crown. The skids will do the brunt of the work keeping it running true so it is an easy tool to use.

Box blades and rear blades with hydraulic adjustments are great too but require alot more skill to use. In the wrong hands some of these tools will cause more harm than good.

Steve

ddivinia · May 26, 2009

That is a very good point. I have not priced one, but I bet they can't be too expensive.

D.

jenkinsph · May 26, 2009

I built one in March with straight blades 96" to plane for new lawns and pastures. Made it with 60" skids instead of 48" ones. At about 950 lbs it does a very good job flattening fields or yards. I set the blades straight instead of angled since I was not concerned about maintainng a crowned road.

Steve

AKfish · May 27, 2009

jenkinsph said:
If the intentions of the poster are to dress up his gravel driveway from time to time then the Frontier LP1196 landplane should do the job. This is much easier for a novice to use and will give good results fast. With two angled 8' grader blades you can pull up material from the edges to maintain the crown. The skids will do the brunt of the work keeping it running true so it is an easy tool to use.

Steve

That's all well and good, Steve. Pretty much a "one-job" tool, though. I do alot more work with my rear blade than "just" dress up my driveway and parking areas..

AKfish

FRIZ · May 27, 2009

ddivinia said:
One major consideration in my book on the boxblade - get a welded top, NOT a bolted one. It is not if but when it will shift and you will want to weld it up anyway. Floating tailgate is nice. Hydraulic sacrificers drives the price up in a hurry. I bought a new frontier last year, I will have to look up the model number.

Yes, please!

jenkinsph · May 27, 2009

FWIW, I have a Frontier BB1284 boxblade with hydraulic scarifier teeth and top and tilt hitch. Bought this to use with the 110 tlb but now use it behind my 4520 cab tractor and this is working out very well.

The landplane is very useful smoothing and planing driveways and fields that have been plowed or tilled. Cuts off the bumps and fills in the depressions, most new ground can benefit by its use.

Steve

AKfish · May 27, 2009

jenkinsph said:
FWIW, I have a Frontier BB1284 boxblade with hydraulic scarifier teeth and top and tilt hitch. Bought this to use with the 110 tlb but now use it behind my 4520 cab tractor and this is working out very well.

Steve

The hydraulic teeth and the top n tilt are the "cat's PJ's"! And the top n tilt makes it much easier to work with a box blade (or just about any rear implement), too. But, you're venturing into some real money with those additions...

Yep, the top n tilt helps tremendously with the trial and error learning that goes with a box blade or a rear blade, for that matter.

AKfish

jenkinsph · May 27, 2009

AKfish,
I haven't tried the top and tilt with my #47 7' rear blade yet but might give it a shot in a few weeks. I may want to add a cylinder and setup for angling the blade too.
Just don't have much time of my own right now.

Steve